Fence.



PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

J. H. BROWN.

FENCE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19, 1904.

IIIN TEE STATE S PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. BROWN, OF ST. CHARLES, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARRY D. KIRK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FENCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed December 19, 1904-. Serial No. 237,551.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Charles, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fences, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fences employing posts made of cement, concrete, or similar material with removable strips therein for affording means of attachment for the fencewires; and the object of the invention is to provide means whereby the strips may be readily attached and removed and whereby the force of gravity may be taken advantage of to tighten the strips in positionin other words, to so construct and combine the parts that if the fence-posts when in use are subjected to vibratory shock or jar the effect will be to tighten rather than loosen the inserted strip. I obtain these objects in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general view of a fence e1nbodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cement or concrete post em ployed. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the removable wooden strip adapted to be attached to the 0st. Fig. i is a vertical sectional' view ta en through the post, showing the removable strip and the means of attachment-of the strip to the post.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The portion a of the fence may consist of horizontal wires, as shown, or may consist of netting or other materials such as are commonly employed. The posts may be made of cement, concrete, or even cast metal, if desired, and have a longitudinally-disposed recess 1), adapted to receive the removable strip 0. The height and width of the strip should be practically the same as the superhcial area of said recess, so that when the strip is in position there will be practically no lateral or vertical play. The de th of the recess, however, is not essential, a though it is preferable that when in position the strip will project somewhat in front of the face of the post. The reason why this is desirable is threefold, namely: first, because a greater amount of wood is afforded for receiving the staples or other fasteners; second, the wires or netting are held out of direct contact with the posts, and, third, the fastening bands or hoops e e are enabled to retain the strips in position more tightly. The recess 0 does not extend to the top nor bottom of the post, and consequently the wooden strip will be held at the proper height therein. As the top, bottom, sides, and back of the strip are wholly or to a great extent inclosed within the recess, said strip will be protected from the weather, and for that reason last much longer than it would if exposed. It is desirable, in order to better shed water, that the top of the strip be beveled at the top 0, and for greater effectiveness said bevel should start at a point inside of the front surface of the post, as best shown in Fig. 4. The front and rear faces of the posts are preferably parallel, but the sides are tapered and converge toward the top. The urpose of the converging or wedge-shaped sides is to hold the hoops or bands e e tight when forced downward over the post and wooden strip. The hoops a may consist of wood or metal and should conform approximatelyto the shape of the post. They are constructed in different sizes, so that they may come to a bearing at different points along the strip, the smaller hoops being adapted to secure the upper portion of the strip and the larger hoops the lower portion thereof. In order to strengthen the post, one or more longitudinal wires f,

referably crimped, as shown, should be embodied therein, and eyes or bends f, of any suitable shape, should be formed at the ends of said wires to act as anchors, and thereby increase their effectiveness.

In constructing a fence in accordance with my invention the posts are first set in the ground in such position that the recess 6 will come on the side where the wires or netting are to lie. A strip is then placed in position in a recess 1), and one of thelarger of the hoops e is slipped over the top of the post and forced downward until it comes to a bearing near the lower extremity of strip 0 to hold said lower portion of the strip rigidly in position in the post. Another and smaller hoop e is then slipped over the top of the post and driven down to a bearing in a similar manner, two of such hoops usually being sufficient to hold the strip firmly in place. The wires or netting may then be fastened in position by means of staples or other fastening devices (1, which may be driven into the wooden strip 0. All that is necessary to remove a strip is to loosen wires a and lift off the hoops e 2, when a new strip may be supplied and the hoops be driven back to position.

I desire to call attention to another feature of the post employed by me to wit, the fact that the Width of the post at the bottom is greater longitudinally of the fence than is the thickness. The chief strain on a fence post is transverse to the fence-wire, and when a post becomes loose in the ground the tendency is for it to fall or lean in a direction transverse to the fence. This disadvantage is overcome with my post, for the reason that the greatest bearing-surface in the round is so arranged as to resist pressure 'rom the side of the fence. The narrowest bearingsurface with my post lies in the direction of the fence-wires; but it is obvious that the wires themselves are suflicient to brace the post in this direction.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination, a fence-post of rectangular cross-section having its sides converging toward the top and a recess in one of its faces; a strip for the fastening of fence-wires, adapted to fit the recess in said post whereby the position of the strip in the post is predetermined; and a plurality of separate hoops of different sizes adapted to encircle said post and strip and come to a tight bearing independently of each :other and independently of the elevation of the strip in the post, and said strip when seated projecting in front of the surface of the post whereby the hoops when forced downward relatively to the strip force the strip inward toward the post notwithstanding the rectangular.cross-section of the latter.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES H. BROWN. Witnesses:

HOWARD M. Cox, CAROLYN RAFTERY'. 

